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Fundraising ideas

We’ve got the best fundraising ideas for good causes of all shapes and sizes! Check out our curated lists or browse all fundraising ideas below by cost, effort, and impact.

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Holiday cookie sale

Whip up some sweet treats to sell at your next fundraising event, group gathering, or around town. Consider setting up a station for supporters to decorate their own cookies or create kits for families to bring home in exchange for a donation. 

Streamline the buying process with scan-to-donate—which guest can use to make their payment instantly right from their phones!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Donation forms

Yard sale

Turn old treasures into fresh new funds for your good cause! Ask community members to host individual yard sales and donate their proceeds to your campaign. Or, host one large community yard sale using donated goods. 

Create a fundraising page for your yard sale, use campaign updates to keep your community engaged, and update the fundraising total to reflect how much you’ve raised.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Fundraising page
Donation forms

Hot chocolate stall

Set up a hot chocolate or coffee stand and sell hot drinks to warm up your community! Have coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and plenty of syrups and toppings that they can add for an extra fee. Don’t forget marshmallows! 

Make it easy for supporters to pay for their drinks as you make them with scan-to-donate, Venmo, and other seamless payment options.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Inspiration
All
Events
Donation forms

Night at the museum

Secure a sponsorship from a local museum and invite families and community members to pay a donation to enjoy a crowd-free evening of fun.  
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events

Fourth of July party

Celebrate our nation’s independence with a red, white, and blue fundraiser! Work with businesses to secure sponsorships and an amazing venue, then sell tickets to your fundraising event, filled with food, music, and activities.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Auctions
Donation forms
Events
Fundraising page

LGBTQ+ workshop series

Charge a registration fee for a series of educational workshops or panel discussions on topics such as gender identity, allyship, and queer history. 

Spread the word and follow up with attendees using free email marketing software
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Inspiration
All
Events

All you can eat buffet

Host an all-you-can-eat buffet or potluck dinner, and charge a small fee to enjoy a meal together with your community.

A free event ticketing platform can help you organize and manage your evening and check people in from your mobile device without any stress. 
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events

Social media challenge

Choose a theme and a hashtag, encourage supporters to post their video or picture, and then tag others to challenge them to do the same—and donate! 

Learn more social media fundraising tips to take your efforts to the next level.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
3
Inspiration
All
Donation forms
Fundraising page

Snowman contest

If you've been lucky to have enough snow, host a pop-up snowman contest for your local area. Invite everyone to take part, tour the entries, and then award the winner with a prize donated by a local business. Use team fundraising pages and encourage people to donate to vote—they’ll be able to see who’s winning on the live leaderboard!
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Inspiration
All
Events
Donation forms
Peer-to-peer

Virtual fun run

Take your fundraising run online or create a hybrid event by encouraging participants to complete a designated distance anytime, anywhere! Be sure to use peer-to-peer fundraising to spread the word and bring in some major funds. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Inspiration
All
Events
Peer-to-peer

Church camp dessert bake-off

Challenge your church camp attendees to a bake-off to raise money for your next big project or trip. Bakers offer samples of their treats in exchange for donations from parishioners and community members, and a panel of judges can award prizes for the best s’mores, cupcakes, and ice cream sundaes. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events

Principal challenge

Challenge your principal to do something wild (like dye their hair) if your team reaches their fundraising goal. Use a custom fundraising page with a live goal bar to drum up excitement and share updates (and photos!) as donations roll in.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Fundraising page
Peer-to-peer

Virtual bike-a-thon

Set a distance and have your bikers pay a registration fee to join in. Then, foster some friendly competition by encouraging supporters to start or join a team, raise funds, and set off wherever they are.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Inspiration
All
Peer-to-peer
Events

Ale tasting

For a fun twist on the usual wine tasting, sell tickets online and in person to an ale-tasting event instead. Host an evening of learning about brewing, tasting different beers, and raising money for a good cause.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events

Tool drive

Rather than requesting a financial gift, ask supporters to donate new or gently used tools and construction equipment for your programs and services. Or, sell them in an annual community tool sale. Don’t forget to send friendly reminders and guidelines on what kinds of tools can be donated using free email marketing software!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Inspiration
All
Events
Donation forms

5k walk/run

Map out your fundraising run route and have supporters donate to participate. Then, use peer-to-peer fundraising tools that allow supporters to make their own donation pages, set their own goals, and ask friends and family to contribute!
Cost:
1
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Inspiration
All
Events
Peer-to-peer

Battle of the food trucks

Host a showdown between some of your favorite food trucks. Ask each truck to donate a percentage of sales towards your good cause, and award a fun prize to the truck that makes the most sales that day. 

Partnering with food trucks is a great way to reach your fundraising target. Discover how to secure corporate sponsorships.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events

Tie-dye fundraiser

Invite students to bring t-shirts, tote bags, socks, and other light-colored items of clothing for a tie-dye party. Charge a small fee for entry and supplies, and have some extra clothing items on hand to sell, too. 

If you produce a large volume lot of tie-dyed items, create a donation form or buy-now auction to sell them to your community! 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Donation forms
Fundraising page

Oktoberfest

Take inspiration from the popular German event and host your own Oktoberfest with carnival games, a haunted house, and plenty of beer and non-alcoholic drinks.

This fall festival idea is a great way to raise funds for your cause and give your supporters an exciting day out.
Cost:
3
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Inspiration
All
Events
Donation forms
Fundraising page

Yard raking

Set up a yard raking service in exchange for donations toward your good cause. 

Follow best practices for volunteer recruitment to build a loyal community of supporters ready to pitch in for yardwork and more.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Donation forms
Auctions

Local celebrities

Invite a local children’s book author or beloved mascot to an event. Guests will pay a fee to attend, ask questions, and take photos! 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Donation forms

Crowdfunding campaign

Collect online donations from friends, family, and community members by creating a fundraising page that lays out your needs and the impact that you will make with the money you raise. Use photos and videos to make your story more engaging, and use a goal bar to showcase your progress. 

Be sure to follow crowdfunding best practices in order to make your campaign an even bigger success!
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
3
Inspiration
All
Peer-to-peer
Fundraising page

Sledding course

Embrace the winter wonderland and assemble your very own sledding course for all to enjoy. Encourage participants to bring their own sleds and consider contributing to your cause in exchange for a thrilling ride. Simplify donations with scan-to-donate and raise additional funds by selling cozy delights like hot chocolate or soup.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Inspiration
All
Events
Donation forms

Dance-a-thon

Using individual peer-to-peer fundraising pages connected to your central event page, participants gather donations and pledges based on how long they aim to dance—without taking a break! 

Supporters can donate, leave messages of support for the dancers, and purchase tickets to join in the fun all in one place. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Inspiration
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
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